Beginning Again
by PrincessSophie21
Summary: Rose Weasley bumps into a certain someone at her new Ministry job, and old feelings that once lay dead spark to life. RosexScorpius
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Prologue

Rose Weasley was running late.

Yes. Rose Weasley, the most punctual person that had graduated from Hogwarts since her mother, was late for a very important meeting. She had recently been hired at the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and was sprinting from elevator to the office.

_Running in heels is probably not the best idea_, she thought to herself, _but I have to get there on time_. As she skidded around a corner, she pushed back the thoughts of what – no, who – had made her late in the first place.

She finally saw the door to the office she was supposed to enter. She glanced at her watch, noticed she still had one minute to spare, and quickly composed herself. She briskly walked in the office and entered the conference room. Setting down the stack of parchment she had carried on the large table, she quickly situated herself to take notes for the meeting. A business wanted to construct a new corporate office in Diagon Alley, London, and they needed permits from the ministry before proceeding to build.

Her boss, Susan Bones, walked into the office accompanied by two other people. As the head of the department, Madame Bones presided over meetings of importance.

"Alright, Miss Weasley, are you prepared to record the happenings of this meeting?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Very well then, let's begin. Title the document 'Permit Request for Construction task BD5843.' Those present include Madam Susan Bones, Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Miss Rose Weasley, Executive Assistant. Also present are Janine Landon from the Permit Committee, and Darius Bosworth, from the Zoning Department for London, England."

Rose nodded as she wrote down the details of the meeting. She frowned as she realized that one piece of information was missing.

"Excuse me, Madame Bones?" Rose asked, "We are missing the representative for the subject of the meeting. Who is here to represent Infinity Estates?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Weasley, the representative is – "

"I apologize for my lateness, I got held up at the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee's office," a man at the door announced. The same man walked over to where Rose was, took a seat across from her, and 

said, "Mr. Scorpius Malfoy, here representing Infinity Estates. And might I just add how lovely it is to be here." He winked suggestively at Rose. "Shall we begin?"

Rose's cheeks turned a red any Weasley would be proud of.


	2. Chapter 1

Thanks to everyone who started reading this. If you reviewed, I thank you double.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Chapter 1

"Rosie, hurry, we don't want to be late!"

"Alright Roxie, I'm coming!"

Rose Weasley glanced at the clock in her room; it read 8:52 AM. Her roommate and cousin Roxanne Weasley was yelling at her to get a move on, as they both had to be at work by 9:00 AM. Rose's job as the Executive Assistant to Madame Susan Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had been a much sought-after job. However, with her 12 O.W.L.s and cheerful personality, Rose was definitely a shoo-in. _Didn't hurt that Mum worked in the department as well_, she thought.

Rose completed her outfit by slipping on a pair of very high, very expensive, and very professional looking heeled pumps. They were a gift to herself after acquiring her position. She gave herself a quick glance in her mirror, and walked through her bedroom door into her living room. Roxanne was running around trying to grab at important items before they both flooed to work.

"Ready?" Roxanne asked breathlessly.

"I sure am," Rose laughed, "Are you?"

"I'm as ready as I'm going to be," Roxanne replied as they both walked towards their fireplace. "Who goes first today?"

"I do," Rose said. "I have a meeting first thing this morning at 9:30, and I have to stop by the Invisibility Task Force Office to grab a few files before that.

"Alright, have a good day. Want to meet for lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, around one or so?" Roxanne asked.

"Sure, sounds great. I'll see you then."

Rose picked up some Floo powder, threw it into the fireplace, stepped in, and shouted, "Ministry of Magic, Main Entrance!" She was gone in a swirl of flame and soot.

As soon as she stepped out of the fireplace, she was pushed along in the hustle that was the Ministry first thing in the morning. She quickly headed towards the lifts, searching the signs that pointed towards the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. She squeezed herself into a lift and headed down to Level 3. While riding down, she made a mental list of every file she had to copy and bring to her meeting. The lift came to an abrupt stop, which halted her thoughts. She made her way down a hallway which led to her destination.

After acquiring all of her necessary materials, Rose made her way back towards the lifts. She was putting all of the files in a particular order, shuffling through the parchments. Not looking where she was going, she collided with someone which sent all of her parchments to the floor.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry--"

"No, I'm sorry, it is my fault--"

Rose had immediately bent down to pick up her parchments, her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. As she gathered them in a pile once again, she turned to see a hand holding a few more out towards her. She took them, and stood up straight to properly thank the person for helping. If her cheeks were pink before, they were definitely a full Weasley-blush red now.

"Rose?"

Rose's mind was racing. Of all the people she had to bump into, it had to be--

"Scorpius," she said brightly. "What are you doing down here?" She felt her throat constricting as her false cheerfulness played out.

"I have to pick up something from the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee's office. What are you doing down here?" he asked.

"I work here at the Ministry," she stated. She started to move towards the exit, but he blocked her path.

"What department do you work in?"

"The Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I'm the executive assistant to Madame Susan Bones. And if you'll excuse me, I have a very important meeting to attend."

"Magical Law Enforcement, huh? Very nice. Like mother, like daughter, I guess." He smirked the infamous Malfoy smirk and took a step closer towards Rose. "So, Rosie," he said softly. Rose gulped at the sound of her name. Only Scorpius could make her childhood nickname sound so sexy. "What are you doing for lunch today? Maybe we could catch up, you know, as friends do sometimes?"

Rose's eyes darted around as she nervously answered, "I'm sorry, I can't. I have a lunch date with Roxanne."

"Fine," he said, his blue eyes flashing. "Dinner then. I haven't seen you in three years; I would like to find out just how much little Rosie has bloomed."

By now, he was so close that Rose could smell the scent of his cologne. It brought back old memories, and she was temporarily disoriented. He took a step back and started to walk towards the offices. "I'll meet you by the fountain at six. See you soon, Rosie."

As Scorpius walked towards the lifts, Rose leaned against the wall in the hallway, allowing herself to breathe properly. She hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath while Scorpius was talking, so she let out a long, deep breath to calm herself down. _How did a normal morning end up having me going on a date with Scorpius Malfoy later this evening?_ She wondered. She brushed away the hair that had fallen into her eyes, and gathered her parchments into an organized file once again. She started walking towards the lifts yet again, and took a quick glance at her watch.

Pausing to look at the face on her watch again, she realized that she had to start running.

Rose Weasley was late, and it was all Scorpius Malfoy's fault.


	3. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Chapter 2

"Ok, well that seems to wrap up this meeting," Madame Bones concluded. "Mr. Malfoy, thank you so much for being efficient with all of your paperwork. I am sure that the Ministry will have no problem granting Infinity Estates permission to begin construction. Miss Weasley, will you prepare all of the necessary red tape to be forwarded to Miss Landon on the Permit Committee?"

"Yes ma'am, I'll do that now."

"Excellent. Well, thank you all for your time; I'm glad that everything worked out smoothly."

As everyone started clearing the office, Rose began organizing all of the paper work that she had to complete before the end of the day. She made her way into her own office, where she immediately took off her gorgeous, but painful shoes. She let her hair down and started massaging her scalp with her fingertips, trying to relax after having her hair in a painful twist. Finally taking a seat at her desk, she began the long task of processing permit paperwork, and resolved to push Scorpius Malfoy out of her mind.

"Nice office."

Rose jumped in her seat, her heart beat racing. "Thank you," she replied. "Can I help you with something, or are you just here to bother me?" _So much for keeping him out of my mind, _she thought.

"Well, I'm here to sign a few documents that the lovely Miss Landon graciously reminded me about," Scorpius said. "But, maybe I can help _you_ with something." He closed the door behind him and made his way over to her desk.

"Fine, I have the documents you need to sign. And I don't need your help with anything," Rose snapped. She grabbed certain parchments from the stack and slammed them in front of Scorpius. "When and where I say sign, you sign."

"Aye, Captain," Scorpius laughed. "No need to be so serious."

"No need to be serious?" Rose asked incredulously, "This is my job! Sign here." She pointed at the bottom of the parchment.

"I know it's your job," Scorpius replied as he allowed his wand to sign his signature. "However, just because it's your job does not mean it can't be fun."

Rose handed Scorpius another parchment. "Initial here and sign here," she indicated. "This is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, not Magical Games and Sports. I actually have to work here."

"I know for a fact that the Magical Games and Sports blokes take their jobs very seriously." Scorpius handed back the signed parchment. "Besides, what's wrong with having a little fun on the job every now and then?"

"Because then you do not get what you have to do done," she stated matter-of-factly. "Last one; sign here, here, and at the bottom."

Scorpius signed the last parchment and handed it back to Rose. He leaned over her desk and brushed the fringe of hair that was always in her face out of the way. "What happened, Rosie?" he asked. "You used to have fun with me all the time in Seventh Year. What changed?"

He started to caress her face, but Rose pushed her chair back and stood up abruptly. "I changed, Scorpius. I grew up."

Scorpius looked intently into her eyes, and she stared back. Neither of them moved until they heard someone open the door.

"Rose do you have those documents yet or do--" Janine Landon stopped short as she took in Scorpius' aloof air and Rose's red cheeks. "I'll just come back later then," she whispered as she backed out and closed the door quickly.

Both Rose and Scorpius looked back at each other. "Remember, Rose, we still have dinner tonight. I want to know what happened to you over these past three years," he said.

"Scorpius, I don't know if that's the best idea--"

"Rose, it has already been arranged. Remember, six-o'clock by the fountain. Don't be late, we have reservations." He walked towards the door, and before leaving the office, he turned and said, "And Rose? Remember to have fun today. I want you to be smiling by tonight; I miss that smile of yours." With that, he winked again, and left.

That wink; how many memories were attached to that gesture? It was with a wink that he first declared his interest for her. It also became the signal that he wanted to meet her somewhere; usually it was dark and secluded…just the thought of it made Rose warm.

Rose Weasley didn't blush for anyone, not for family or friends. But she seemed to have stored up a lifetime supply of blushes for that particular blonde that just left her office.


	4. Chapter 3

Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter 3

"You're doing what?"

"Shh!" Rose tried to quiet her cousin. "Yes, I'm going out to dinner with Scorpius tonight after work."

Rose and Roxanne had just ordered their food at the Leaky Cauldron. Rose had filled Roxanne in on the events of the past morning, concluding with how she now had a date with Scorpius Malfoy, of all people. Now Roxanne was getting excited about the prospect of Rose's date.

"Oh Merlin, Rose, this is crazy!" Roxanne exclaimed. "You haven't seen Scorpius in how long?"

"Three years," answered Rose grimly. "I wanted it to stay that way for a little while longer, too."

"Oh, but why Rose?" Roxanne asked. "You guys really had something going on back in seventh year. I remember you always used to sneak out of the dormitory and--"

"Roxanne!" Rose scolded. "Could you be any louder? Shush!" Rose's eyes narrowed as she continued. "Besides, that time has passed. I know we used to be…together. But now it is three years later and things change. People change." She added as an afterthought, "I've changed."

"Oh Rosie, you haven't changed that much," Roxanne sighed. "It's only a wonder on how you two did it though. You guys kept your relationship a secret from everyone, well, except me, of course. But what happened that made you guys break up? You never did tell me."

"_I never want to see you again! I can't believe I gave everything to you…you coward!"_

"_Fine, go! Leave! It'll end up being what you do best, Rose!"_

Rose's thoughts were brought back to the present as Roxanne waved a spoon in her face.

"Hello…are you there Rose?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry…but, yeah, I still don't want to talk about what happened."

"Well, obviously," Roxanne retorted. "Otherwise you wouldn't have gone all freaky on me."

The cousins continued eating their lunches, passing time while making small talk about their jobs. Roxanne actually worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports, much to her parent's approval. She had always wanted to work there. From the time she had discovered when she was little that there was such a department, all the way through winning the House Cup with her Gryffindor team for the first time, she kenw she was destined to be there. The rush of Quidditch had definitely been proudly handed down to her by her parents, along with certain physical qualities. She had her father's stocky build that was good for sports, and her mother's cocoa skin. The Weasley hair definitely tired to prevail over the dark brown curls, but only managed a few streaks here and there.

Rose, on the other hand, was her mother all over again. She was a Gryffindor, along with her cousin. She did not appreciate Quidditch as a sport, but had not inherited her mother's fear of flying. She was a hard worker and tried to exude excellence at every possible moment. Her brown hair with red highlights had been bushy when she was young, but as she got older, she learned to tame it. She wasn't as tall as her father or brother Hugo, but she was definitely taller than her mother. She had a coming of age beauty that had definitely been appreciated by most of Hogwarts' finer male specimens, especially one in particular.

Rose shook her head, not wanting to think of Scorpius any longer. "How much time do we have left?" she asked.

Roxanne glanced at her watch, and then started getting ready to leave. "We have to be back in a little bit, and I can't be late. The Holyhead Harpies are coming in for an analytical viewing of the new brooms that have just been imported in from Japan. The brooms have yet to be released, but the Harpies want first dibs if they're as good as they say they are."

Rose started gathering her things as well. She threw some money on the table for their meal and the tip. Both began walking out towards the Ministry's visitor's entrance.

"Do you think I should go out with Malfoy tonight, Roxanne?" Rose asked.

Roxanne stopped walking and turned to her cousin. "Rose," she started, "I do not know what happened with your relationship with Scorpius. All I know is you were miserable after it supposedly ended. I don't want to see you get hurt again, but if you feel something, maybe you should give it a chance."

Rose nodded as they continued walking towards the phone booth. She wanted to go because she was curious about the past. Then again, curiosity killed the cat. Rose knew that there was definitely heat when it came to her and Scorpius, but she didn't want to get burned. When the cousins finally made it down to the Atrium, Rose turned to Roxanne and said, "I'm going to go tonight. I want to see what has happened in the last three years. Maybe we can become friends again."

"What if he wants more?" Roxanne asked.

"I don't know, I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Rose said goodbye to Roxanne, and started making her way back towards her office. She only had a few more hours to psych herself out for what could possibly be the biggest mistake she would ever make.


	5. Chapter 4

There is an Author's Note at the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

_Rose walked briskly down the Charms corridor, looking for a specific door. Eager to get to her destination, she broke out into a run. Finally skidding to a stop, she wrenched open the door and threw herself in the small broom closet. She was panting, out of breath from the sprint she had just completed. She took her hair and piled it up on her head with a clip, fanning herself to cool down. She moved several mops, brooms, and buckets, making space to stand properly without tripping. She shrugged off her long, black school robe and started to undo the top buttons of her blouse. As she was in the middle of it, a blonde young man burst into the broom closet and quickly slammed the door behind him._

"_Getting a head start, Weasley?" Scorpius Malfoy said, panting, from running to the closet as well._

"_Oh, wouldn't you like that, Malfoy. No, I'm not. It's just hot and stuffy in here," she stated, fanning herself again to get her point across._

"_Well," he said, as he sauntered directly in front of her, "I know why it's hot in here, and it's definitely not the closet."_

_With that he captured her lips in a searing kiss. He scooped her up and pushed her against the wall of the closet, sending the once standing mops and brooms to the floor. Rose threw her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his platinum hair. She wrapped her long legs around his waist pulling him even closer to her. Their kiss became even more heated. Scorpius' hand came up and pulled the clip that was binding Rose's hair, sending it cascading into his hands. His lips left hers and started making their way down her neck, while Rose's breathing was becoming short and labored._

"_Scorpius…" she managed to hiss. His lips were doing amazing things to her jaw line._

"_Yes, Rose?" His muffled voice came from the other side of her neck._

"_I think I'm ready…" she trailed off._

Loud banging proceeded to knock Rose out of her memory. She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to rub out the deep blush that had formed. She recognized the knocking as coming from her door, and responded for the person to enter.

"Hi, Rose. Sorry about interrupting before," Janine Landon stood in the doorway. "I just really need those files now, it's almost six o'clock and I need to get home," she said.

"Sure Janine, I'm sorry for not getting them to you earlier." Rose started to compile all of the necessary parchments into an organized pile for Janine.

"Rose, I don't mean to intrude," Janine started, "but are you ok? Usually you have your work done early and efficiently. Is everything alright?"

_I can't believe it_, Rose thought. _My thoughts about Scorpius are causing me to slack off on my work!_ "No, everything is fine," she reassured Janine. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"Alright," Janine said. "Well, it's about five minutes to six. I definitely need to get out of here. I'll see you soon, Rose," she said over her shoulder as she left the office.

_Five minutes to six_, Rose thought. _Time to go._ She took a small compact mirror out of her desk drawer, did a small glamour charm on her face and fluffed out her hair. Satisfied with her overall appearance, Rose made her way to the lifts.

As she walked into the middle of the Atrium, she made her way over to the fountain. A new structure had been built after Voldemort's downfall. Instead of statues like the two previous had been, a large stone slab stood in the center of the fountain reading "Peace, Harmony, and Magic." She recalled how her Mum along with her Uncle Harry had rallied for something symbolizing the peace and harmony within the Magical Community. Her Uncle Harry had mentioned that the last two statues had been destroyed for a reason, and that's why it was time for something new. Rose took out a Sickle to throw into the water.

"Make sure you make a wish."

Rose jumped, alarmed by the person speaking. "Scorpius," she said. "Why do you always feel the need to sneak up behind me and startle me?"

"I didn't mean to scare you, Rose." Scorpius smirked. "Go on, make your wish," he said.

Rose gave him a small smile before turning back to the fountain. She squeezed her eyes shut, then tossed the coin in the air. Keeping her eyes closed, she waited to hear the splash that the coin would make when it hit the water. When it still hadn't come, she opened her eyes, looking around to see if she had missed the water. She finally looked at Scorpius, who was holding her silver Sickle in his hand.

"Um, Scorpius? Why didn't you let me make my wish?" Rose asked.

"Because," he started, "you should not leave wishes that can actually come true up to fate." Before Rose could open her mouth to question his last statement, he took her hand in his and started leading her to the Visitor's Entrance. "Now come along, we have reservations and we mustn't be late!"

Rose quickened her pace to match his, but didn't pull her hand out of his. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"That information is classified for now," he said. "But trust me, I'm positive that you'll enjoy this place."

With that, they stepped into the telephone booth and ascended into the streets of London. Rose sincerely hoped that she would enjoy it, but since she was with Scorpius, she knew it was bound to be interesting.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who read and/or read and reviewed. I have a question to ask my readers: I have an opportunity to make this a Rated "M" story. Meaning, that it will not allude to adult content, it will actually have adult content. Let me know your thoughts!

Cheers! Princess


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

"So," Scorpius started, "What have you been up to since I saw you last?"

"Oh, this and that. I traveled with Roxanne for a while. We didn't stick around one place for too long," Rose replied. "What about you? Been working for Infinity Estates this whole time?"

"No," he scoffed. "I traveled a bit as well, but mainly back and forth between Paris, Rome and London." As they were walking, Scorpius gestured to the right. "The place is on this street, right over here," he pointed out.

They quickly crossed the street, grateful that no one was around to notice them in their wizard's robes. Scorpius reached for the door and pulled it open for Rose, allowing her to pass through and get the first glimpse of the restaurant. The first thing she noticed was that there were only wizards in the dining room. She also took in the fact that it was very elegant, but not too formal for their "after work attire."

"Where are we?" Rose asked.

"We are in a little restaurant called Le Petit Morseau, known in the Wizarding world for its magnificent French House Elves, who were freed at one point during the revolution. They proceeded to become world famous for their cuisine and have opened numerous restaurants all over the world."

"Oh I've heard of them! My mother wrote a whole chapter on them in her _book The History of the House Elf Liberation._"

"Bonjour, bienvenue à Le Petit Morceau," a house elf in a black tailcoat greeted them. "Do you have reservations?"

"Yes, under Malfoy?" Scorpius answered.

"Ah, Monsieur Malfoy, it is wonderful to see you again. And who is the beautiful lady that you bring?

"This is Rose Weasley."

"You have a beautiful restaurant here, Monsieur."

"Merci, merci, mademoiselle. Well, come to your table, you will be served immediately."

Rose and Scorpius sat down and prepared to enjoy their meal. Rose ordered in perfect French, which seemed to surprise Scorpius. However, he did not bring it up until they had ordered dessert.

"So, when did you learn to speak French?"

Rose swallowed the last of her wine before answering, "When I was in Paris, and I picked up a little in the South of France as well. My mother encouraged me to speak the language. I must say that my Aunt Fleur was impressed with my diction."

"I'm sure she was," Scorpius said softly.

When they finished their dessert, Scorpius paid the bill and left a gracious tip. Rose was about to thank him for the evening when he replied with, "Oh no, it's not over yet."

He took her hand and told her to hold on tight. He apparated them to a street that Rose was unfamiliar with, and immediately began walking towards what looked like a pub.

"Come on, Rose," he said. "Let's have a drink."

"I don't know if that's a good idea…" Rose started to say.

"Rose, I told you we were supposed to have fun tonight. Now, shake it off and have a drink with me." Scorpius pushed their way to the bar, and they sat themselves down ready to order. "Two Firewhiskeys please" he ordered.

The barmaid put the drinks in front of them, and Scorpius lifted his drink to make a toast. "To time, for the fact that even after three years we can still get together."

Rose lifted her glass as well. "To time," she said, and downed the shot quickly and smoothly.

"Whoa, where did you learn to drink like that?" Scorpius laughed.

"America," she answered simply.

"Enough said," he stated as he waved the barmaid over again. "Your turn. What would you like to toast to?"

"Umm…" Rose thought. "How about friendship? Hopefully even after all the time has passed, we can build a friendship?"

"To friendship," Scorpius said and took his shot.

The two continued their game, toasting to things like the world, Hogwarts, the Ministry and such. While on their eight toast, Scorpius noted that he was getting a little dizzy, and Rose didn't look any better.

"To love!" she shouted. "We had plenty of love at Hogwarts, and we had such a killer time in all those broom closets. That true love may prevail!" She giggled and threw back her shot, spilling some down her front.

"To great sex," Scorpius slurred. "We had plenty of that, too."

Rose swayed in her seat. "I haven't had great sex in a very long time," she said mournfully.

Scorpius laughed, "Oh really Rosie? I find that hard to believe."

"No really," she said a little too loudly. "I haven't had anything in for-ev-er…" She hiccupped at the end. Her brown eyes fell on Scorpius' blue ones. "But you can change that…" she said.

"Oh can I?" he asked.

Rose nodded ever so slowly, before taking Scorpius' tie that was hanging loosely around his neck and pulling him toward her. Her lips danced across his, teasing him, before kissing him fully. Breaking away, she whispered against him, "Let's go somewhere?"

"Certainly," he said. He took her hand and pulled her out of the pub. Stumbling, but holding her arm tightly, he turned and disapparated.

* * *

I am so sorry for not updating sooner. My life has been very chaotic, and I promise I will try and update sooner.  
Thanks to everytone who read and reviewed, it means alot. I have decided to keep the rating T, and just keep the allusions to a minimum. Thanks again!

-Princess


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